Tetragonal β-In2S3: Partial ordering of In3 + vacancy and visible-light photocatalytic activities in both water and nitrate reduction

Abstract

A highly crystallized tetragonal β-In2S3 was synthesized with a partial ordering of In3+ vacancy confirmed by Rietveld refinements, which was therefore considered as an intermediate phase between conversional cubic and tetragonal β-In2S3. Benefiting from the high crystallinity and hierarchical morphology, it exhibited an intrinsic visible light photocatalytic activity in both water and nitrate reduction. The optimized H2 evolution rate was 442μmol/h/g and the nitrate conversion rate was as high as 3.26mgN/h. Apparent quantum yields of water splitting were also studied from 400 to 650nm with an optimal value of 1.45% at 400nm.